Building a Solid Local Presence with Local Search

Building a Solid Local Presence with Local Search

Many businesses operating within a fixed geographical area have a challenge to get higher search engine rankings in local search. Local search or geo-local search can happen in several different cases. A user might enter a geographically specific search term like “pizza in Manchester NH”. Or a user might have configured their browser to search in a specific area. Or, the more likely case is that the search engine returns results based on the profile of the user. However it happens, local businesses need to have a solid strategy to make sure they show up high in the search engine results.

Recently, Search Engine Journal published a good article on how to get ranked higher in the Google Local Carousel. Although it’s focused on a specific piece of the local issue, most of the techniques discussed are applicable to local business in general. The general rule here is to make sure to implement a complete Google+ strategy.

Specifically, make sure you pay attention the following steps:

Make sure you have your Google+ places listing and company page verified and accurate

Put a Google +1 button on your website, making it easy for viewers to add reviews and add to circles

Develop a reviews strategy, not only Google+, but also other review sites, as these all can add link juice to your plan

Above all else, develop a content plan that makes your web presence authoritative. Over the past year, content has become more important than ever.